With the holidays upon us, the best in human compassion tends to shine through. People are more inclined to lend a helping hand and do what they can for others in need. It is a time of kindness, togetherness, gratitude, and empathy.
A while back, we wrote about the role of human compassion in the timeshare industry. We shared stories of real people facing personal challenges that necessitated an escape from the demands and burdens of timeshare ownership.
We told the stories of Jake, Dorothy, and Gina. After many years of timeshare ownership, Jake’s wife was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, making travel extremely painful for her. In addition, Jake had lost his job, putting severe financial strain on the family. Jake owed over $15,000 on his timeshare mortgage and had annual maintenance fees of roughly $1,500.
Similarly, Dorothy had purchased a timeshare for her family of five to travel. One day the family received devastating news. Dorothy’s husband was diagnosed with kidney failure. His kidneys were only at only 18% of functioning level, he was put on a transplant list, and he was receiving dialysis treatments every few days. Dorothy’s husband would no longer be able to travel while on dialysis and since he could no longer work, the family’s income was drastically cut in half. Dorothy still had several thousand dollars remaining on her mortgage and her annual maintenance fees remain around $1,200.
Gina had purchased a timeshare several decades ago that she used regularly with her family. The past few years, however, Gina’s age has made travel more difficult, and health risks more pronounced. Gina is now in her 70s and knows it will only become more and more strenuous for her to use her timeshare as well as afford it as her retirement fund continues to dwindle. Gina has fully paid off her timeshare, but her annual maintenance fees remained around $900.
Even though these individuals were faced with a pressing need to cancel their timeshare contracts due to medical and/or financial hardship, the resorts insisted that legally their timeshare contracts were still binding and Jake, Dorothy, and Gina were still responsible for their outstanding mortgages and continually increasing maintenance fees, regardless of whether or not they would be able to use their timeshares.
When we first wrote about compassion in the timeshare industry, we noted how some resorts will consider personal challenges when deciding to dissolve a timeshare contract. Nevertheless, with significant changes in the industry’s practices, more and more resorts have started turning a blind eye to human compassion. Some resorts—the infamous “Dirty Dozen”—have stopped releasing any and all consumers from their timeshare purchase contracts altogether, regardless of personal hardships (and even in spite of illegal sales contracts that were purchased under fraud and duress).
If your circumstances have changed or you are facing personal challenges and can no longer afford your timeshare, remember that human compassion still exists. Some resorts may still be willing to consider your personal hardships and divest your timeshare. Even if your resort is unwilling to cancel your timeshare contract, you can still find empathy in the form of a professional who will listen to your story, take on your burden, and advocate your position for you through litigation.
If you face personal hardships and cannot meet the physical and financial demands of your timeshare, contact a Consumer Rights Attorney and see how you can get relief as part of a Multi-Party Action. We understand your need for compassion and we are here to advocate for you. Call The Abrams Firm at (360) 918-8196 for a free consultation with a licensed Consumer Advocate Attorney. We will discuss the remedies available to your specific case, so you can make an informed decision as to what is the right strategy—divestment or litigation—for you. The consultation is 100% free and we are the only company to never charge any upfront fees for divestment. We are Consumer Protection Attorneys dedicated to fighting for you.
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